Cricket: Whirlwind Astle ton murders CD attack

By TERRY MADDAFORD AND NZPA

Nathan Astle jet-propelled Canterbury into the semifinals of the one-day championship with a blistering unbeaten century in Christchurch yesterday.

Astle, seeking to confirm his fitness to rejoin New Zealand for the tri-series in Australia, went beyond that with his amazing assault, which reaped 101 from 78 balls against Central Districts.

It was the fourth-fastest century in New Zealand domestic one-day cricket.

Central were dismissed for a disappointing 147 in 47.2 overs, Astle also playing a major part with the ball, capturing three for 28 off nine overs.

Canterbury knocked off the required runs at lightning pace, reaching 152 for two in 24 overs.

Astle showed why he is one of the world's leading one-day batsmen, with all-out aggression towards the hapless Central bowlers.

It was an astonishing attack because Astle had had a month off while his cracked wrist healed and was in just his second comeback match.

"I didn't really hold a bat until last Friday when I had 30 to 40 minutes on the bowling Machine at Lincoln," Astle said last night.

A quickfire 35 at run-a-ball pace in his first outdoor innings, against Auckland on Sunday, indicated everything was on track.

Astle annihilated Central's beleaguered bowlers, and finished the game with an final flourish, taking 20 from what became the final over by Brent Hefford, to hoist his seventh domestic one-day hundred.

* Northern Districts outplayed Auckland from start to finish to pick up their sixth one-day win of the season in Hamilton last night.

In dismissing Auckland for just 190 under lights at WestpacTrust Park, Northern bagged their fourth State Shield bonus point to keep their hopes of the direct route to the February 2 final alive.

Led by inspirational efforts from Matthew Hart and Joseph Yovich, Northern choked the life from an Auckland team who performed more like jokers than aces in falling 77 short of the 267-run target.

Choosing to bat first, the Northern innings was given a run-a-minute start by Simon Doull and James Marshall.

With a solid foundation, Northern cashed in, giving the sometimes ordinary-looking Auckland attack little respite as Matthew Hart posted his season-high 78, his second half-century of the shield season.

Canning, four for 40 from his 10 overs, was the best of the Auckland attack, although Drum had conceded only 31 runs before being forced off with an ankle injury following a collision with Robbie Hart.

Auckland's top-order batting was as bad as Northern's was good.

Within 35 minutes the innings was in tatters, the shot selection at times abysmal.

Llorne Howell was the first to go, taken in a spectacular running catch by wicketkeeper Robbie Hart.

That was upstaged minutes later by Yovich's diving effort at third man to remove Matt Horne.

And it got worse as Richard Pudney and Tim McIntosh quickly joined the procession as Yovich took his haul from 3.4 overs to three for 12.

Only an unbeaten 89 from Horsley saved face for the visitors, who were outplayed throughout.

Mark Haslam had a brief flurry and Chris Drum hobbled up and down for three before the visitors were put out of their misery.

nte * Wellington's belief in middle-order batsman Grant Donaldson paid a handsome dividend when his invaluable 74 from 70 balls helped the home side to beat Otago by four wickets and earn at least a home semifinal.

Just when it looked as though Otago's 268 would be too formidable, Donaldson kept pushing on, with help from English professional David Sales (46) and Donaldson's Stokes Valley clubmate Matthew Walker, who finished 39 not out from 25 balls.

Wellington wanted 91 with 10 overs remaining, a daunting task. However, the players again showed the character that has had them at the top of the table throughout.

With Walker's final partner, Paul Hitchcock, being promoted from No 11 to snatch 16 from just six balls, remarkably, Wellington reached their target of 269 with eight balls remaining.

They now have 33 points. It means they cannot finish lower than second with one round remaining on Friday before the top-three playoffs next week.

Wellington's final game is away to Auckland, and Northern and Canterbury meet in Timaru.

Otago's innings was built around a first-wicket record against all teams of 154, and the first one-day century for opening batsman Andrew Hore (102), which came at a run a ball.